Many bath fittings such as spa jets, air buttons, suction fittings etc need to be mounted such that they sit proud on the wall in which they are located i.e. they protrude from the wall. These protruding fittings can present an obstacle to comfortable and safe use of the bath installation. For example, protruding fittings can prevent a user from reclining against the wall in the vicinity of the fitting, and a user may suffer a graze or bruise from the protruding fitting when using the bath, for example when entering or exiting the bath. Fittings that protrude from the wall in which they are mounted can also be aesthetically displeasing.
One approach to reducing the extent to which such fittings protrude from the wall is to mould the wall or walls of the bath or shower installation with a recess at the intended location of each fitting. A hole is then drilled into the central portion of each recessed area, and the fitting is then mounted in the hole such that the outer surface of the fitting becomes flush with the bath wall. The down-side of such a design is that the moulded bath shell, for example, can only be used as a spa bath since the recesses look unusual or unattractive in an ordinary bath without the jets etc fitted. Furthermore, the location, type and number of fittings must be the same for each bathing installation which limits the choices available to users.